Bridge player accessory



April 1950 E. M. SUTPHIN BRIDGE PLAYER ACCESSORY Filed Jan. 28, 1947 3 A v O Jw987 5432 @DOODDOOO 0000 AKQJE98765432 7 AKQJm98765 32 6 l Oonoooooooon .A QJw9876543 2 M Q m987654 2 lm\ mvocoouuooooooo AKQJW98765432 8 AKQJHI-98765432 1 Qooocooeooooo G AKQJw.98765432 F L 3 7 Patented Apr. 11, 1950 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE BRIDGE PLAYER ACCESSORY Eldon M. Sutphin, Verona, Pa. Application January 28, 1947, Serial No. 724,790

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a new and improved bridge player's accessory and more particularly and specifically a device for aiding the memory of the player.

The primary object of this invention resides in the provision of a small structure adapted to be held in the players hand in conjunction with the cards therein and which is so constructed and operable to allow the player to tabulate those cards as they are played to enable the player to play properly with visible indications before him.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a device of the character described which is provided with an easily available thumb holder, indicating means for each card in the bridge deck, and means for indicating that suit in the deck which is the trump in the hand being played.

Another and still further object of this invention is the provision of a bridge players accessory as set forth which is easily and quickly operated by the players free hand while the device is held in the second hand in company with those cards comprising the hand.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a device of the character described which is of an extremely simple, durable, and inexpensive design and construction.

Still further improvements and advantages of this invention will readily appear to those skilled in the art when the following description is read in the light of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a broken away view illustrating the trump selector.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of this invention and in which like numerals indicate similar parts throughout A designates a rectangular box-like structure of a size consistent with that of the conventional playing card.

The top surface I of the structure is divided longitudinally into four rows 2 and each of the rows is divided transversely into fourteen equal sections 3 and one end of the surface is set off as a rectangular section 4 bordering the surface above said divided rows.

A horizontal inset chamber 5 is provided inward that end of the structure beneath the center of said rectangular section and a circular disc 6 is rotatably mounted therein on a pintle 1 ex- 2 tending vertically therethrough with one portion of the disc extending beyond the structure.

An aperture 8 is provided in the rectangular area above the disc and the disc is provided with replicas 9 of the suits of the deck and an indication of the no trump placed in spaced relationship radially thereabout so that with rotation of the disc they will appear individually beneath said aperture.

The first section is in each of the four rows is provided with a picturization of one of four suits of the card deck in descending order from left to right, spades through clubs. The sections beneath the picturizations are depicted with indications of the cards in each suit commencing with the ace and decreasing in numbers progressively downwardly through the two.

The center of each of the sections is provided with a V-shaped depression H opening through said structure, and a circular rod [2 is provided throughout the length of each row extending through the center of said depressions and a lever 13 is mounted about said rod I2 to pivot thereon within said depression while a raised detent I 4 carried by said lever beneath said depression rotates over the surface of one end of a spring bar 15 secured to the under side of said surface, with each end thereof one beneath two adjacent depressions in two adjacent rows.

A small card like structure it is pivoted at one end of said structures under side as at H in such a manner as to allow the card to be pivoted out- Wardly from beneath the structure so that the device can be held by the thumb as the cards in the hand making the operation of the device easy with the free hand.

In operation the levers are all placed in similar positions as the hand is begun, and the disc 5 is moved to bring the trump suit bid beneath the aperture 8 for the players reference.

Then as cards are played in each suit the lever indicating that card is moved to an opposite position so that at all times the player may refer to the device to determine those cards played and those remaining unplayed.

Having thus described and explained this invention and with full belief that modifications in size, materials, and general characteristics would not constitute a departure from the spirit of the invention what I desire to claim in Letters Patent 1s:

1. A device for recording the cards played in a bridge game, comprising a substantially flat rectangular box having substantially the shape and size of a playing card, said box having an upper face ruled to provide longitudinal columns and sections in each column, the uppermost sections having replicas indicatin the card suits and the remaining sections of each row having replicas, indicating the cards in the corresponding suit arranged in proper sequence, movable indicators mounted upon the box within the card sections, and a flat thin sheet pivotally connected at one end with the-box and extending longitudinally of the box and shiftableto a position. projecting laterally beyond the box, the arrangement being such that the box may be arranged within the hand and the thin fiat sheet inserted between twofingers. V

2. A device for recording the cards played in a bridge game, comprisin a substantially flat-mectangular box having substantially the shape land. size of a playing card, said'box including a top having an upper face, said upper fac being ruled.

V in sequence, saidtopbeingprovided in all of the 7 card sections with downwardly tapering-openings 4 extending through the opposite faces of the top, longitudinal rods carried by the top and extending longitudinally of the columns and corresponding in number and arrangement thereto and passing through said openings, indicating levers mounted within all of said openings and pivotally mounted upon the rods and projecting above the upper face of the top and provided with depending detents projectin below the lower face of the top, and leaf springs mounted upon the lower face-of the-box and extending across the lower ends of said openings to engage the detents to releasably hold the levers in upright positions.

ELDON M. SUTPHIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number, Name Date 481;97; Hillard Sept. 6, 1892 576,017, Zierfuss Jan. 26, 1897 936,277 Kilmer et al. Oct. 5, 1909 1,026,768 Rae May 21, 1912 1,789,890 Agrell Jan. 20, 1931 

